The NSW Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning (the Hon Sarah Mitchell MLC), announced on Sunday, 29 November 2020, an overhaul of all professional development for teachers, including early childhood teachers (ECTs).
The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) will still require teachers to do 100 hours of professional development for over five years to maintain their accreditation.
Following their announcement, NESA has published an update regarding Elective Professional Development (PD) and transition arrangement for Teacher Maintenance of Accreditation. In other words, so long as those training providers have gained interim accreditation (which will expire on 31 July 2021), completion of their training will continue to be recognised by NESA.
The Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA) NSW strongly recommends that ECTs re-check if training providers have been certified or re-certified by NESA to provide recognised PD until 31 July 2021.
NESA will finalise the criteria for courses at various accreditation levels in priority areas in February 2021. NESA's (new) accredited priority areas are:
- delivery and assessment of NSW Curriculum/Early Years Learning Framework (as applicable)
- student/child mental health
- students/children with disability
- Aboriginal education and supporting Aboriginal students/children.
Elective Professional Development (PD) may include activities completed in or outside your service that contribute to the ECT's ongoing professional learning and meet NESA’s criteria for effective professional learning. NESA will publish information on the activities that may be recorded as Elective PD and the criteria for effective professional learning by Term 1, 2021.
ECTs can also record professional commitment activities and further tertiary study as Elective PD.
Professional commitment activities would be PD that shows an ongoing capacity to support the PD and practice of your colleagues and the wider education community. Professional commitment activities include:
- mentoring or coaching teachers or teacher education students
- supervising teacher education students, provisionally/conditionally accredited teachers or Proficient Teachers
- leading professional development or educational forums in a school/service or through professional teaching associations or networks
- developing and implementing projects, including research in early childhood education and care services, schools or the wider education community
- writing for publications that contribute to professional knowledge and discussion for teachers.
If members require further information/clarification, please contact ACA NSW on 1300 556 330 or nsw@childcarealliance.org.au.
PUBLISHED: 2 DECEMBER 2020
UPDATED: 18 JANUARY 2021